Tracking, the hidden curriculum, and education policy

SOC 131

Can you see the hidden curriculum here?

The hidden curriculum

Sociologists researching what actually goes on in classrooms have developed this concept of the hidden curriculum, which focuses on the forms of socialization that are imparted within schools.

Beyond the “official curriculum” involving math, science, literacy, and the like, another important objective of schooling is to teach students “how they should behave, how they should expect to be treated, and whose ideas are important” (pg. 395).

The hidden curriculum can and does look different depending on your (theoretical) perspective. Discuss the following questions with others in your small groups.

• How do sociologists from the functionalist perspective see the hidden curriculum?
• In what ways do they conflict sociologists differ from the functionalists in the interpretation of the hidden curriculum?
• Is the hidden curriculum similar for all students?
• If not, how should we understand its variation(s) across different social groups?
  
• What was your own socialization experience like in school?

Tracking

• What is the rationale for tracking in schools? That is, why do school administrators argue that this practice makes sense?
  
• If we move beyond this rationale, how can we describe the actual consequences of tracking?
• In what ways, if any, does tracking contribute to the reproduction of pre-existing social inequalities?

Applying the sociological imagination

To wrap up, I want you to take on a few of the questions posed in the final paragraphs of this chapter on the Sociology of Education.

• What more would you like to know about schooling and society?
• How could you use research to find an answer to these questions?
• Finally, how, if at all, does the application of the sociological imagination change how you think about your own educational experiences and opportunities?